Pound Puppies Generation Gap: I'm All Out Of Luck
by iheartkatamari
Summary: Thirteenth in a series created by brave kid and me. When the Puppies and Kittens meet a pup named Taboo who believes that he's bad luck, it's up to them and newcomer Bella to help him see otherwise.
1. Scary Cats and Bad Luck Dogs

**This is the thirteenth entry in a series created by brave kid and me, more of which he and I will be working on together in the future.(Pics of this story's characters are also now available on my blog, the Keeper of the Fun blog!) Please enjoy!(BTW brave kid, thank you very much for all of the story suggestions you've given me. I've had a lot of fun working on these stories with you, and I very much appreciate it. I look forward to writing future stories with you.) :)**

It's a peaceable day in New York City. The Pound Puppies and Kennel Kittens are standing outside a barber shop with a curly-haired, black and white La Perm cat who's wearing a pale blue dress and a white apron. "Harriet(1), welcome to your new hap-hap-happy home." Cupcake says.

"Oh boy, I'm so excited," Harriet says. "I certainly hope she likes me."

"I'm sure she'll absolutely love you!" Rebound replies.

"Don't forget this, sweetie." Cookie hands the cat a brush, upon which Harriet traipses into the shop.

A lady with short blonde hair is busily trimming a customer's hair inside. "So, I've been looking everywhere for the perfect cat," the barber says. "I've checked pet shops, the internet, everywhere! But so far I've had no luck." Just then, she hears a small meow and turns to see Harriet standing in the doorway. "It's you!" she gasps delightedly. "My perfect kitty! And you've found my brush, too! Oh, thank you, dearie."

Harriet purrs contentedly as her new owner gently pets her curly fur. From outside the shop, the dogs and cats smile and sigh contentedly at this happy scene. "It truly does do your heart good to see pets find their perfect home." Strudel notes.

"I quite agree, Strudel," Ace replies. "There truly is a pet for every person and a person for every pet."

Glancing at her wristwatch, Fluffy notices the time. "Oh dear, it's getting late. We'd better start heading back to the pound before Dot worries."

"Don't worry, folks," Squirt says. "I know a shortcut through that alley over there." The Chihuahua motions toward a dark alleyway; thunder rumbles through the air, lightning crashes, and spooky organ music plays.

Niblet shudders, "Oh no! Not there!"

"Why?" Cookie inquires.

"Didn't you guys see th' thunder 'n lightning an' hear th' creepy music? That's th' alley of doom, home to some of the scariest cats 'n dogs in th' city!"

"Oh Niblet, it's only a rumor." Kugel replies.

"Yeah," ads Ace. "People often make up things like these to drive people away."

"Mmn, I sure hope you guys're right." the big sheepdog replies apprehensively.

Kugel gently holds Niblet's paw. "Don't worry, Niblet. We'll make sure nothing bad happens."

"Yeah," replies Squeak. "We all got each others backs."

"Gee, thanks, guys," Niblet sighs with relief. "You sure make me feel a whole lot better."

The Puppies and Kittens slowly traipse into the alley; a cold breeze blows by, sending shivers up their spines. Suddenly, they hear a voice cry, "Turn back! Turn Back!" upon which they whip around to see a scroungy-looking grey alley cat with a lighter grey snout, wearing a red velvet vest with gold buttons, a matching cape, and a patch over his left eye, standing on an old rain barrel next to them. "Leave this alley now, or you will soon suffer a cursed fate!"

"C-c-c-c-cursed fate?" Niblet echoes nervously.

Lucky is not swayed by this. "We're not afraid. We're willing to face anything!"

"Fine, but consider yourselves warned." the cat replies, as he hops up a nearby ladder.

"M-m-m-maybe we oughta listen ta him." Niblet notes fearfully. "After all, he seems ta know all about this place."

"Don't be afraid, Niblet," Fluffy reassures him. "It's surely just a ploy to scare us off."

As they continue on, the dogs and cats enter a large space where three more shaggy alley cats garbed in witch clothes(One of whom was also wearing a cooking pot on her head) stirring a glowing mixture in a large cauldron, with a small brown rat standing nearby. "Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble, eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and drool of dog!"

"Ughh, sounds like McLeish's cookin'." Squirt mumbles under his breath.

"Those who intrude upon this place will soon be most unfortunate," the witch cats elaborate. "You may pass for the price of a great big tuna!"

At this moment the one-eyed cat from earlier hops down beside them. "Not one of those canned types, either. Ahi or Bluefin might be preferable."

"Yeah," the rat adds. "So make wit' da tuna now if ya's wanna get outta here safely!"

Niblet quickly turns to the group. "Does anybody got a tuna?"

"Not me." Squirt replies.

"Me neither." Strudel adds.

"I don't have a tuna. Do you?" Fluffy inquires of Ace.

"No, sorry." Ace replies.

"An' I jus' had lunch dis mornin'," Tiny adds. "There weren't no leftover or nothin'."

Lucky turns to the cats with a serious look on his face. "And what do you cats plan to do if we _don't_ give you the tuna?"

"We will place on all of you the curse of...TABOO!" Lightning crashes, thunder rumbles, and suddenly a small puppy appears at the group's feet. He's a small black pup with white paws, eyebrows, and a white snout, wearing an orange t-shirt with a black cat's face on the front. "Hi, folks," he greets the group. "I'm Taboo, and I'm 100% pure bad luck."

"Now his luck will be YOURS!" the one-eyed cat elaborates sinisterly.

"B-b-b-bad luck? *GULP*" Niblet shudders.

Lucky isn't fazed by this. "Uhm, say, Taboo," he inquires. "If I may ask, please, do you know a way out of this alley?"

"Sure!" Taboo obliges. "There's a shortcut this way. Follow me, please." Upon this Taboo leads the group out of the alley and onto a sunny street corner. A very relieved Niblet drops down on all fours and begins to kiss the ground. "Oh, we made it, we made it! After all th' scary cats 'n bad luck dogs it's great t'be outta there."

"Oh, Niblet," Cookie says. "Taboo isn't bad luck."

"I mean no offense miss, but..." a sad look crosses the little black pup's face. "I really AM bad luck. Bad stuff just seems to follow me wherever I go. I've never even had a real home because whenever someone thinks they might like me, my bad luck ruins everything."

Cupcake dabs a tear from her eyes. "Ohh, that's so super-duper _sad_!"

Rebound consolingly places her paw on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Taboo. There's no such thing as bad luck, and as such, we'll help you find your perfect person."

"Mmn, I'm not so sure about this." Taboo replies apprehensively.

"Well, we're sure!" Patches replies confidently. "We'll help you find a loving family-" he's barely finished his sentence when a nearby garbage can falls over, spilling its contents into the street.

"See? Bad luck." Taboo notes.

"Oh, don't worry, Taboo," Cookie replies consolingly. "It's probably just the wind-" She's no sooner said this when a street cleaner careens by, splashing the group(Save for Taboo himself) with water.

"Oops. My bad." Taboo blushes.

"An' I already had my bath this month." Niblet mumbles.

(1)Her name and outfit are based on those of the poodle barber from the Animal Crossing video game series.


	2. New Taboo

The Puppies and Kittens return to the pound with Taboo following closely behind. They enter the yard, where Dot is gently brushing the fur of Bingo, a tall black Doberman with a brown snout and belly, wearing a red t-shirt. "Hi, folks!" Dot greets them cheerfully.

"Hey, guys," Bingo greets them . "Who's your friend?"

"This is Taboo." Cupcake replies.

"Pleased to meet you," Taboo greets them politely. "I'm Taboo the bad luck pup."

"Bad luck?" Bingo echoes.

"Yeah. Bad things just seem to follow me wherever I go...Uhm, I hope this won't be a problem."

Dot gently pets the little black pup on the head. "Don't worry, Taboo. Bad luck isn't real-" No sooner has she said this when a large St. Bernard walking by trips on a squeaky toy lying on the ground and falls face-first into his food dish. SPLAT.

"See?" Taboo states. "More bad luck."

"Oh, don't blame yourself, little fella," the St. Bernard says obligingly as he slowly sits up and wipes his face off. "I really need to watch where I'm going a bit more." Taboo's only response in an unsure look.

"We'll need to take this little fellow to Dr. Carlton(1) for a quick checkup before he's registered." Dot notes.

"Capital idea, Dot." Lucky says as the group then make their way toward the vet's office.

Inside the pound veterinarian's office, Taboo sits on an examination table while Dr. Carlton checks his eyes, ears, and throat. "Hmm, you seem quite healthy, little one."

"It's very kind of you all to try to help me, but I'm afraid that it won't be of any use," Taboo states. "Bad luck isn't something that can be cured with medicine."

"Don't worry, Sweetie," Cookie replies. "There's no such thing as bad luck."

"And I'm sure that you'll have a new hap-hap-happy home in no time!" Cupcake adds cheerfully.

"I'm not so sure," the little black pup replies dolefully. "A lot of different cats and dogs have tried to help me in times past, but soon they realized that there's no hope for a walking bad luck charm like me; eventually they just give up, get the alley cats their tuna and send me back to the alley."

"Well, we won't let that happen," a determined Lucky replies. "We'll never turn down an animal in need."

"Mmn," Taboo muses unsurely. "Turning me down might be a wise idea. It's pretty much hopeless."

Strudel, who's sitting next to Squirt, glances over and sees that the Chihuahua is reading a book entitled, "Famous Bad-Luck Remedies From Around the World."

"Uhm, Squirt?" the dachshund inquires. "Where did you get that book, if I may ask?"

"From Niblet." he replies.

"Why am I not surprised?" Strudel mumbles under her breath.

"Hmm," Squirt muses. "It says here that rubbing the head of someone with red hair brings good luck." Almost as if on cue, an Irish Setter traipses into the office. Nothing daunted, Squirt reaches up and rubs the setter's head, leaving him staring blankly.

"Oh Squirt, I expected better of you!" Strudel exclaims indignantly. "If we don't have confidence in Taboo, how will he ever have confidence in himself?"

As Dr. Carlton gently sets Taboo back down on the ground, the little black pup takes a step forward and ends up getting himself tangled in a roll of bandages that was lying on the floor. "Uhm guys? A little help, please?" The dogs and cats then promptly hurry over and help untie him.

Moments later, the Puppies and Kittens, with Taboo leading on, traipse out into the yard out back of the pound. "This will be the perfect opportunity for someone to adopt you, Taboo," Fluffy says confidently. "All of the kids will be coming home from school."

"I don't know," the little black pup replies dolefully. "It will probably only be a matter of time before my bad luck ruins things again."

Little d they know, however, that at this very moment the villainous Milton Feltwaddle's nephew Morton, who had been taking Feltwaddle's cat Scarface Claw out for a walk, had overheard their conversation. He begins rubbing his chin with his one free hand. "A dog causing bad luck, eh? Well, I surmise that Uncle Milton will be quite interested to hear about this!" Upon these words, he and Scarface then make their way back to Shelter 13.

Within the main room of the prisonlike pound, Morton tells his uncle about the discovery he's made. A sly grin spreads across Feltwaddle's face. "A bad luck dog? Why, how very, very interesting! If we were to get this dog on our side, it might spell the end for Dot's miserable pound!"

"Excellent idea, Uncle Milton," Morton replies. "But, how are we gonna get the dog?"

"Simple, Morton. I'll call Catchum for the job." At this moment Catchum enters the room. "Just the man I wanted to see!" Feltwaddle addresses him. "It just so happens that I have a bit of a job for you."

"Sure thing, boss," the dogcatcher replies obligingly. "How may I help you?"

"Well, Milton tells me that there's a dog at Dot's ridiculous pound causing bad luck; I'd like you to nab that dog for me."

A disconcerted look crosses Catchum's face. "Boss, you can't be serious! It might be dangerous to go after a dog like that!"

"Well, you'll get me that dog and that's final!" Feltwaddle growls. "I want no arguments!"

"Fine," Catchum mumbles dolefully as he leaves the room. "But I'll need some insurance before I go out there."

_Insurance?_ thinks a nonplussed Feltwaddle._ I wonder what he means_.

(1)She originally appeared in our first story, "A Walk On the Flip Side."


	3. Failed Adoptions and Good Luck Vans

Meanwhile, back at the pound, The Puppies and Kittens, along with Taboo, stand by the fence, anticipating visitors. "This is the moment, Taboo," Rebound says excitedly, hopping up and down. "Pretty soon someone will come and adopt you and give you a loving home!"

"Mmn," the little black pup says dolefully. "I'm still not so sure."

"Oh, you mustn't think that way, Taboo," Cupcake replies. "After all, there's a pet for every person, and a person for every pet!"

"Except for a bad luck charm like me." Taboo's expression becomes even more downcast.

Just then, the group hears the beeping of a bike horn and look up to see a tall, skinny man pedaling a bike up to the gate. He has curly brown hair and wears a white shirt with a collar, a pair of khaki pants with a brown belt, a pair of black shoes, and a pair of thick black glasses. As he removes his bike helmet he walks up to Taboo. "Why, what a wonderful puppy! He's just as perfect as pie!" He then turns to Dot. "Excuse me, miss. My name is Mr. Geekman, and I'd like to adopt this puppy, please."

"Well, certainly, Mr. Geekman." Dot replies obligingly.

A small smile spreads across Taboo's face. "See, Taboo?" Cupcake whispers. "A super peachy-keen person wants to adopt you!"

Glancing down at his watch, Mr. Geekman says, "Well, I'd better be hurrying back to school for that history class. Could you keep that puppy for me until I get back, please?"

"Absolutely, sir." Dot replies.

"Thanks!" Mr. Geekman hops back on his bike and begins to pedal away. "Wow, I finally found the perfect puppy! Boy, wait'll the kids in my class see him!" Unfortunately, he hadn't been keeping an eye on where he was going and hits a bump in the road, causing him to go flying off of the bike and landing in a mud hole. "WHOOOOOAOOOOA!" SPLATT!

A worried Dot rushes up to him. "Mr. Geekman, are you all right?"

The school teacher slowly picks himself up. "Don't worry, dear, I'm fine. I just-AAAAH!" As soon as he takes one step, he trips and falls into a nearby bush. "Uh, d-don't worry, I'm okay," he says as he climbs out of the bush and begins traipsing down the sidewalk. It was just-WHOOOOAOOOAAOOOAA!" He begins slipping on a large collection of fallen acorns beneath a nearby tree and goes sliding away. Taboo looks on sadly as he leaves. "Wowsy-wowsy(1)," he says. "I've done it again."

Meanwhile, back at Shelter 13, Catchum is climbing into his truck, which is full of a large amount of four-leaf clovers and lucky horseshoes that almost obscure the windows(2). A rather taken-aback Feltwaddle inquires, "Catchum, what are all of those things for?"

"Well you see," the dogcatcher replies. "These good luck charms will protect me from any bad luck I might encounter."

"Just how much money did you spend on all of these ridiculous trinkets?" Feltwaddle demands.

"Oh, not too much, honestly. I got the money from a box sitting on your desk."

A look of shock crosses Feltwaddle's face. "W-WHAT?! But, that was my rainy day fund!"

"Gee, sorry, boss, there was no label on it or anything." Catchum replies. Feltwaddle looks as though he might explode.

Noticing a large, heavy-looking bag in Catchum's hand, Morton inquires, "What's in the bag, Catchum?"

"Lucky pennies," the dogcatcher replies. "For this job, I'll need all the luck that I can get! Well, I'll be seeing you all soon. Goodbye!" Catchum waves with his one free hand as he then embarks his van and drives off.

A very aggravated Feltwaddle facepalms angrily. "Ooooooh..."

(1)A quote originated by Shleprock, a character from the Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm show with a similar plight.

(2)This plot point was very kindly recommended to me by brave kid. :)


	4. New Friends and Computer Crashes

Back inside Pound Puppy Mission Control, Taboo sits sadly on the floor with his chin in his little white paws. "Sigh...sooner or later, it always happens. Every time a person thinks they might like me, I jinx things up for them. And he seemed so nice, too!"

Cupcake places a consoling paw on Taboo's shoulder. "Don't be sad, Taboo, I'm sure that you'll have a new nifty-neato home in no time."

"I know you all mean well, but it simply is no use," the little black pup replies despairingly. "I'm nothing but a bad luck accident waiting to happen."

Just then, the Pup Alarm on the wall above them sounds, "Red Alert! Red Alert! Incoming puppy at twelve O'clock!"

"Well, I guess we're okay ta wait, then," Niblet states. "It's only 3:45." The group simply looks at him oddly.

A small puppy comes sliding down the winding chute lightning fast. "Whoooooaooooaaa!" Tiny holds his paws out to catch her. "I got her, I got her!" Squeak then does the same. "I got her! I got her!" Kugel then joins them. "I got her! I got her!" As the puppy reaches the end, she goes flying off and crashes on top of the three cats. "Ooogh..." Tiny groans. "Guess we don't got her." Kugel moans.

As the Pound Puppies gently help their feline friends to their feet, the puppy walks casually up to Taboo. "Howdy," she cheerfully greets him. "My name's Bella." She's a yellow lab pup with big brown eyes and long eyelashes, wearing pink t-shirt, dark blue shorts, and a dark blue bow in her hair.

Taboo blushes slightly and begins straightening his hair. "Uhm, h-hi, Bella, m-m-my name's Taboo."

"So pleased to meet you. Have you come to look for a home, too?"

"Uhhh, y-y-y-yes." Taboo blushes a bit more deeply and begins sweating profusely.

"Ooh, that's wonderful!" Bella replies cheerfully. "I hope we can both find homes."

"Uhhm, y-yeah, m-m-me, too!"

As Bella traipses off, Taboo smiles blissfully and breathes a hearty sigh. He turns to Lucky, "I think I really like her." His face then suddenly falls. "The only thing I'm afraid of is that I might jinx everything up for her just like everyone else."

"Don't worry, li'l guy," Lucky says consolingly. "Bad luck isn't real. In fact," A thoughtful look crosses the grey dog's face. "I may know just the way to prove it!"

Lucky turns to Strudel. "Has your latest invention been finished yet, Strudel?"

"Most certainly, Lucky." Strudel turns to the group. "Follow me, please."

The dachshund leads the dogs and cats into her laboratory, where they're promptly greeted by her robotic assistant Toyoshiko. "Good afternoon, Ma'am." the robot dog greets Strudel. "May I be of assistance with anything?"

"Well, there is one little matter," Strudel replies. "Can you show us to where my latest invention is, please?"

"With pleasure, Ma'am." Toyoshiko leads the group to a corner of the lab where Strudel's two squirrel assistants Mr. Nut Nut and Sparky are putting the finishing touches on a what appears to be a computer with a large, bugle-like mouthpiece on the side. "This is the new voice activated F.K.D." Toyo informs the group. "Pets simply speak into the mouthpiece and the computer searches the database for their perfect match."

"Would you like to go first, Taboo?" Bella inquires.

"Uhm, okay." the little black pup replies unsurely.

Toyo motions toward the mouthpiece. "Now, just speak into here, little one, and tell the F.K.D. what you're looking for in an owner."

"Well, let's see," Taboo muses. "One boy or girl, or man or woman, or, well, whatever other kind of person there is, who'd like a small, friendly, well-behaved dog who has no fleas, doesn't bark at the mailman or chase cats or squirrels, and has a tendency to ruin everything he touches."

"Strike that last part and I think we've got a match." Lucky motions, upon which Strudel pushes the "GO" button on the control panel. Suddenly, the machine begins crackling, fizzing, and shaking violently.

"Oh no!" Mr. Nut Nut exclaims.

"It's gonna blow!" Sparky cries.

"RUN FOR IT!" everyone shouts. Most of the group manages to escape safely, but Strudel unfortunately isn't quite fast enough and gets caught up in the **BUH-BWOOOOOOOOOM!**

"Strudel, are you all right?" A worried Lucky calls. Shortly thereafter, a charred an worse for wear Strudel crawls weakly out of the room. "I...must...have crossed a wire somewhere..." she groans before collapsing to the ground.

Concerned, Toyo wheels up to her. "How many fingers am I holding up, Ma'am?" she says, holding up two fingers.

"Approximately 2,478,932.7." Strudel replies. Taboo sighs deeply and sadly hangs his head.

Meanwhile, in the middle of town, Catchum drives his van through the streets(Albeit barely able to see out the windows). Just then, a Dalmatian passes by on the nearby sidewalk. "Say, a Dalmatian!" an intrigued Catchum notes. "Dalmatians are lucky, aren't they? Yeah, if I can nab that Dalmatian, I'll be guaranteed good luck!"

He parks his van by a nearby street corner and hops out. "Now I gotcha, Dalmatian! I'll catch ya and I'll catch ya _good_" Upon hearing this, the Dalmatian quickly takes off down the street. "H-hey, come back! Don't leave! You're lucky!" Catchum calls as he hurries after the spotted dog.

"Actually, my name's Max." the Dalmatian mumbles under his breath.


	5. Cursed Puppies and Lucky Dalmatians

Back at the pound, Taboo sits sadly in the middle of the yard with the Puppies and Kittens standing nearby. "Wowsy-wowsy," he sighs heartily. "I've ruined things for everyone again."

"Ah, don't feel bad, dearie," Strudel says. "These things just happen sometimes."

"I know you all mean well, but there really is no merit in denying it," the little black pup replies. "I'm nothing but a bad luck magnet."

"Don't worry, dear," Fluffy says. "Bad luck surely isn't real."

Niblet is sitting cross-legged on the ground, reading the book of superstitions. "Hmm, it says here that Dalmatians bring good luck." Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Patches playing with a rubber bouncy ball and walks casually up to him.

"Uhm, Niblet?" inquires a much perplexed Patches. "Why are you following me around?"

"'Cuz you're Lucky!" the big sheepdog replies.

A nonplussed look crosses the Dalmatian pup's face. "He has me confused with Lucky?" he thinks.

"I read in a book that Dalmatians bring good luck, so I'm gonna stick around with you so's th' bad luck gremlins don't get me."

"Oh, Niblet," Patches replies indignantly. "Surely you don't believe in this bad luck mumbo-jumbo?"

"Well, I surely do."

"But if we don't believe that Taboo isn't bad luck, he'll never believe it himself," Patches elaborates. "The best thing that we can do for him is to show him in every way that we can that bad luck doesn't exist."

"Mmn. I hope so." Niblet replies unsurely.

"It's been this way ever since I was born," Taboo elaborates. "I was the runt of the litter, the kid who somehow always seemed to ruin things for everyone else. Every time I joined my brothers and sisters in their puppy games I'd always end up making a mess of things, like this one time when we were playing tug-of-war on top of a picnic table and I got distracted by a butterfly and accidentally let go of the rope, sending them toppling into a mudhole, and the time we were playing catch with a beach ball, and I accidentally bit it and popped it. Evidently, no one wanted to be around me, so I simply left. I wandered the streets for many days until the day that I met them-the Cats of the Alley. They took me in and told me what no one else had dared to say. I was cursed! And that's why they call me Taboo."

Niblet bursts into tears. "Bwaa-haa-haa! That's the saddest thing I ever heard!"

Bella consolingly places her paw on Taboo's shoulder. "Oh, don't listen to them, Taboo, bad luck is nothing but superstition."

"Quite indeed," Ace elaborates. "After all, what kind of friends tell another friend that he's cursed?"

"Yes..." A wistful look crosses Lucky's face. "In fact, I may have just thought of another way to prove that bad luck isn't real." He turns to the group. "Follow me, please." upon which the dogs and cats then traipse through the pound's front gates and make their way toward the city.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Catchum is still trailing the Dalmatian. "Ohh, Dalmatian," he calls. "Here, little good luck charm." Just then, the Dalmatian looks out from behind a nearby fence. "Aha! I've found you!"

The dogcatcher begins to run after the Dalmatian, but unfortunately, the heavy bag of lucky pennies he'd put in his pocket earlier was slowing him down immensely. As he slowly rounds a corner, he trips on a sneaker lying in the middle of the sidewalk and falls flat on his face. From behind the fence, the Dalmatian is doubled over with laughter. "Smart-aleck dog." Catchum grumbles.


	6. But Is It Bad Luck?

Meanwhile, the Puppies and Kittens are gathered by an alleyway in the heart of town. "Hm," Squeak muses. "I thought I remembered seeing an old mirror around here somewhere-ah, here it is!" Noticing a discarded hand mirror sitting by a trash can at the back of the alley, the Siamese cat quickly picks it up.

"What'cha doin', Squeak?" Tiny inquires.

"Just gonna break this mirror." he replies.

"Squeak, don't!" Niblet exclaims. "Breakin' a mirror brings seven years bad luck-49 in dog years, and 35 in cat years!"

"Don't worry, Niblet." Squeak picks up a small hammer nearby and taps the mirror, shattering it. "See? Nothing bad hap-" He barely has time to finish his sentence when another street cleaner motors by, drenching the dogs and cats again.

"See?" Taboo notes. "It _is _bad luck!"

"Well, here," Strudel notes, as she traipses out onto the sidewalk and begins stepping from crack to crack. "I'm stepping on cracks, and nothing bad's hap-" She's barely able to finish when a can of paint topples off of a nearby stack of crates and lands on Taboo's head. The little black pup fearfully runs in circles, "Help! Get it off of me! Get it off of me!" Bella gently removes the bucket from his head. "Thanks, Bella." Taboo, who's face is now covered in pink paint, replies gratefully.

Squirt takes a small cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dials a number. "Hello, city fish mart? How's your Ahi?"

"SQUIRT!" the others exclaim disapprovingly.

A red-faced Squirt hangs up and quickly tucks the phone back in his pocket. "Ooh, just kidding."

Noticing a ladder leaned against a tree across the street, Cookie is suddenly hit with an idea. "Ooh, I think I may have a plan. Follow me, please." The group then follows her over to the tree, upon which Cookie walks under the ladder. "See? I've walked under a ladder, and there's no danger-" Unfortunately, she's barely said these words when a wrench, which had been sitting on top of the ladder, gets jostled off and hits against the tree, which unfortunately was housing a beehive. The bees begin swarming out en masse and chase after the dogs and cats with a vengeance. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the Puppies and Kittens cry as they frantically run for cover.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Catchum has set up a trail of dog biscuits leading down the sidewalk to where he's hiding under a large wooden crate. "Heh heh," he chuckles to himself. "In a few minutes I'll nab that little good luck charm." He watches as the Dalmatian follows the trail, eating up each of the biscuits; before the Dalmatian can eat the final biscuit, Catchum quickly leaps out from under the crate with his net held high in the air. "Ha, I gotcha!"

Thinking quickly, the Dalmatian picks up the final biscuit and stuffs it in Catchum's mouth, then pulls his net down over him and runs away. "Wiseguy." the dogcatcher mumbles in a muffled voice.


	7. The True Test of Good Luck

Back at the pound, the Puppies and Kittens(Save for Taboo), still rather bruised from their encounter with the bees, gather in the yard. "Oof," Squirt groans. "That was quite an experience."

"If only there were some way to help show poor Taboo that he isn't cursed." Bella says sadly.

"Yeah..." Lucky hesitates for all of a heartbeat, until an idea hits him. "I've got it! I think I may have just figured out the perfect plan to show Taboo that he isn't cursed."

"What's your plan, Lucky?" Tiny inquires.

"Well, there's a raffle a the pound this afternoon for a years' supply of Tasty Yum Yums dog food. We'll pick a number, such as, say maybe 45, and write it on all of the tickets. We'll put all of the tickets in a shoebox and each of the other dogs and cats will take one, only no one else will call their number, making Taboo the winner.(1)"

"Ooh, that's brilliant!" an impressed Strudel replies.

"This is awfully nice of you, Lucky," Bella says. "This will surely help Taboo feel so much better."

At this moment the group sees Taboo slowly trudging up to them. "Howdy, Taboo!" Bella cheerfully greets him. "We're so glad to see you; Lucky has a very special message to give you."

"Well, I have something I need to tell you guys as well." Taboo replies sadly.

"What's that?" Bella replies.

"I'm leaving."

"_LEAVING_?!" the Puppies and Kittens gasp.

"Yeah," Tears begin dripping from the little black pup's eyes. "Every time someone thinks they can help me, my bad luck just ruins everything again. In fact, it's worse than bad luck. I'm a loser! And no one would ever want to adopt a loser like me. I appreciate you all trying to help me, guys, but it simply is no use. Goodbye, my new friends, I'll never forget all the kindness you've shown me, but now I really must leave; I'd better let the cats know I'm coming." And with that, Taboo sadly trudges toward the gate.

"Taboo, no!" Bella calls after him.

"Don't go!" Rebound calls.

Before Taboo can reach the gate, Lucky quickly hurries up to him. "Wait, Taboo, please! There's something important I need to tell you."

"Yes?"

"There's a raffle for a year's supply of dog food this afternoon, and we'd all love for you to come."

Taboo's expression becomes even more woeful. "But I'll only jinx that up, too."

"Not to worry, Taboo, I'm sure that you'll be the winner." Lucky says consolingly.

Are you sure?" Taboo asks.

"Absolutely," Lucky replies. "In fact, I'm positive." He nonchalantly looks over his shoulder and winks at the group, who wink back twice.

Meanwhile, back in the city, Catchum is busily setting up a box trap large enough for a Dalmatian to fit into with a dish of dog food. "Heh, there's more than one way to nab a good luck charm." he snickers to himself. As he hears the sound of light footsteps behind him, the dogcatcher quickly ducks behind the fence as the Dalmatian closes in on the trap. Catchum waits patiently until he hears a CLUMP!

"Aha! Got him!" The dogcatcher hurries up to the box trap, but when he lifts it up, he discovers not a Dalmatian, but a large, angry pitbull underneath. As the huge dog growls at him, Catchum begins gulps very audibly and begins to sweat nervously. "Ahhh, heh, heh, nice doggy, good doggy, it was only an honest mistake..."

Unfortunately, the pitbull isn't swayed by Catchum's pleas in the least and chases him down the sidewalk, barking and snapping fiercely. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!" the dogcatcher wails.

At this moment the Dalmatian looks out from behind the fence with a grin on his face. "Silly boy!"

"You win this round Dalmatian," Catchum calls back angrily. "But mark my words, I _will_ nab you before the day is done!"

(1)Andy Griffith concocted a similar plan in the episode, "The Jinx" to show newcomer Henry that he wasn't bad luck.


	8. He Could Be a Winner

Back at the pound, Lucky had just told Dot his plan, which she had agreed was a good idea, upon which the two of them ten went throughout the pound, telling the plan to all of the puppies and purries in the pound, who were very much obliged to it as well. A little later on, all of the dogs and cats gather in the yard for the raffle. Dot, who's garbed in a ringmaster's outfit(1) stands on a stage with Lucky, who's wearing a similarly fancy outfit, stands nearby. "Puppies and purries," Dot announces. "Welcome to the annual drawing for a years' supply of delicious Tasty Yum Yums brand pet food!" Lucky then motions to an enormous stack of canned food nearby.

Taboo licks his lips hungrily. Although he wasn't to confident that he would win, just the thought of having such tasty winning made his mouth water. "All right, Lucky," Dot motions. "May we have the shoebox, please?"

"Most certainly, Dot." Lucky takes a shoebox full of tickets off of a nearby table and wanders through the audience, passing it to each of the dogs and cats. As he passes the box to Taboo, the little black pup shakes his head. "No thank you."

"Oh, but please, do try!" replies Shaggles(1), a small, shaggy golden-brown pup with cream colored paws, wearing a royal blue t-shirt, who's sitting next to him. "This could be a great opportunity to win a nice supply of food."

"Yeah," adds Ginger, a small brown Spaniel pup wearing a yellow dress and matching bows above her ears, who's sitting behind them. "You've got just as good a chance as anyone else."

"Well, okay, but I'm not too positive." Taboo proceeds to take a ticket from the box.

As Lucky then brings the box back to the stage, Dot closes her eyes and pretends to feel around inside the box. "And the winning number is...45!"

"Ooh, which number did'ja get, Taboo?" Shaggles inquires excitedly.

"Is it 45?" Ginger asks.

"Uhm...no." Taboo replies hesitantly.

The other dogs and cats are utterly shocked by this. "NO?!"

"But what does your card say?" Bingo inquires.

"7 1/2." Taboo replies.

Squirt facepaws in exasperation. "Oh, he picked out the shoe size!"

"Oh, wouldn't you know it?" the little black pup sighs. "Now I've even jinxed up things for myself!"

Thinking that now might be a good time for an explanation, Lucky turns to Taboo. "Uhm, Taboo, I have a confession to make. You see, all of the other puppies and purries got number 45, too." To prove a point, all of the dogs and cats in the audience then present their cards to him.

"Huh?" a nonplussed Taboo states "B-but how is this possible?"

"Well you see," Dot elaborates. "We had rigged the drawing so that everyone would get number 45, only no one else would call their number, making you the winner by default."

Taboo's expression grows even more doleful. "Then I still lost."

"Oh, but that's not so, Taboo," Bella quickly replies. "All of these dogs and cats have gotten together to help prove to you that you aren't cursed."

"Indeed," Lucky agrees with a smile. "If there's one thing that I've always known for certain it's that friends are the luckiest thing that any puppy or purry can have, and with friends like these, you'll have only the best of luck forever."

Feeling his spirits lifted, Taboo then inquires, "You make me feel a lot better but...what about the alley cats?"

A stern look crosses Lucky's face. He had all but forgotten about those cats until now. "Well, it looks like we'll be needing to pay those cats a little visit, and for them...NO TUNA!"

(1)Similar to the one Holly wore in the episode, "Brighteyes, come Home."

(2)He first appeared in the episode, "Lucky Gets Adopted."


	9. Let's Show Those Cats What For!

The Puppies and Kittens traipse down the street until they come to the alley of doom. "Now to show those nasty cats what for." Lucky growls as the group enters the alley.

Almost immediately upon entering, the Puppies and Kittens hear nasty laughter and are immediately confronted by One Eye. "Well, well, well, look who had the nerve to come back."

"Just take us to the witches, One Eye," Fluffy says seriously. "And no funny stuff!"

"All right," One Eye obliges. "But if you didn't bring the tuna I wouldn't want to be in your paws."

One Eye leads the group into the middle of the alley; Niblet sudders nervously. "I'm not scared a'witch cats, I'm not scared a'witch cats, I'm not scared a'witch cats..." As they finally reach the witch cats' lair, thunder rumbles and lightning crashes. "Aaugh!" The big sheepdog drops to the ground and hides his eyes.

"Double, double, toil and bubble," the witch cats chant. "Give us our tuna or you'll have TROUBLE!"

"Sorry, gals," Fluffy says confidently. "No tuna for you."

The thunder rumbles and the lightning crashes again. "Look," Ace says matter-of-factly. "We know that you can cause thunder and lightning, ad that you can make the alley dark in the middle of the day, but the one thing we don't know is why you told Taboo that he was cursed."

"His luck is bad and so are we," the witches reply. "Give us fish or you'll get _FLEAS_!"

"Fleas?! Oh no!" Niblet despairs.

"But Niblet," Squeak says. "Don't you already have fleas?"

"Yeah, but I don't want any MORE of 'em!" Niblet's friends simply look at him oddly.

"Oh, great cat queens of the alley," Taboo states, bravely stepping forward. "Please forgive these dogs and cats. They've been nicer to me than any of the other dogs and cats at any of the other pounds, especially Lucky and Bella, and somehow, the fact that they thought that I might not be bad luck really gave me hope-WHOOOOOAA!"

As he takes another step forward, the little black pup slips on a banana peel lying on the ground nearby, sending it flying into one of the witches' faces. "Hey!" the witch cat whips around abruptly, knocking over her associates and then the cauldron, spilling its searing hot mixture all over the ground beneath One Eye's feet. "Ooh, hot, ooh, ooh!" One Eye leaps into the air, grabbing and yanking a curtain cord, causing a large curtain(Which no one had noticed before now) to pull away, revealing a large collection of alley cats pulling levers on a smoke machine, turning cranks, running on wheels, and banging trash can lids.

"So they was th' ones behind all this th' whole time!" Tiny exclaims.

"Uh oh." one of the alley cats states apprehensively.

"We'd better get while the gettin's good." says another, upon which all of the alley cats hurry away.

One Eye and the witch cats try to make their escape too, but their exit it sharply cut off by an angrily growling Niblet. They then try to hurry off in the other direction, but that exit is cut off by an angrily hissing Fluffy. One Eye strikes an attack pose. "Get back, before we curse you with our scary magic!" Suddenly, his eye patch falls off, revealing...a perfectly normal eye. "I just liked the look." he shrugs.

"All right, come clean, you guys," Fluffy says seriously. "Why have you been making Taboo think that he was cursed?"

"Well, how else is an alley cat supposed to get tuna?" One Eye replies. "And we DO love tuna. Right, girls?"

"Uh huh." "We do like tuna." "That we do." the witch cats reply.

"It wasn't that hard, either," the rat from earlier elaborates. "You wanna soak a buncha' dogs 'n cats on the street? Just dump water. You wanna mess with the fancy electronics? Just tie up a few wires. Jumpin' on houses, slammin' doors, knockin' over trash cans, it was all so easy!"

"As long as y'do it where no dumb dogs 'n cats can see." one of the witches begins. The cat next to her abruptly thumps her on the shoulder. "Ow! I mean _smart_ dogs 'n cats, yeah, yeah!"

Taboo stares on wide-eyed. "T-they were doing these things the whole time? Then that means..." the little black pup's heart fills with happiness for the first time in a long while as a large happy smile spreads across his face. "I'm not cursed after all!"

Fluffy gently pats him on the head. "And you surely aren't a loser either, sweetie."

"Now, before we let you guys go," Ace says seriously. "Promise that you'll never do _ANYTHING_ like this again!"

"Uh huh." "Sure thing." "We promise." "Absolutely." "You can rely on us." the mean cats and rat reply. The Puppies and Kittens, however, failed to notice the alley cats and the rat crossing their fingers behind their backs.

"Well," Lucky sighs heartily. "We'd best be getting back to the pound soon, so Dot doesn't worry." upon which the group then begins their trek home.


	10. Two Nice Puppies For Two Nice People

As the group heads back toward the pound, Bella notices Taboo looking sad. "What's wrong, Taboo?" she inquires sympathetically.

"Well, you see, though I know that I should be happier to find out that I'm not cursed, I've been Taboo the bad luck pup for so long, I'm not sure who I really am."

"Well, little fella," Lucky states. "Even though I don't believe in luck, good or bad, one thing that I am sure of I that things often work out in ways we haven't anticipated."

"You're very kind, Lucky, but I do still have my doubts..."

At that moment, Mr. Geekman comes wheeling his bicycle down the street at top speed and ends up crashing into a stop sign on the other side. "YAAAAAAAH-OOF!" A lady with short black hair, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a white dress with a red skirt comes running up to him. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Don't worry, dear, I'm fine." He gives a hearty sigh. "I can't believe this, I always have the worst of luck with everything!"

"That's him!" Taboo exclaims elatedly. "He's my perfect person! If anyone knows how he feels right now, it's me."

"I hope his wife likes me." Bella muses in anticipation.

"I'm sure she'll love you." Taboo replies confidently. Bella giggles and blushes.

"'Bye, guys! Thank you for everything!" the two pups call to the Puppies and Kittens as they hurry toward their new owners and hop up into their arms.

Mr. Geekman gasps delightedly. "It's you! My perfect pie puppy! Oh, after all of the trouble I've been having you're the luckiest thing that's happened to me; I think I'll call you Lucky." The little black pup yips contentedly as his new owner gently pets his furry little ears.

Mrs. Geekman gently cuddles Bella. "Oh, what a little dear you are! You're my perfect pet!" The little yellow lab pup gives several happy yips.

A wistful look crosses Tiny's face. "Say that reminds me. Since Taboo was gonna win th' pet food anyways, howsabout we reward it to him unanimously?"

"That's an excellent idea, Tiny." Lucky replies.

"We're on it!" Kugel and Squeak quickly ferry a wagon housing the huge pile of dog food cans to the other side of the street. Mr. Geekman looks down in surprise. "Well, look at this! Someone's given us a years' supply of pet food for our new puppies!"

"Ooh, how wonderful, dear!" his wife notes delightedly.

As the Geekmans and their new pets start off toward home, the familiar glow of Puppy Power begins to glimmer around them. The Puppies and Kittens smile and sigh at this happy scene. "Two nice people for two nice puppies." Cupcake notes blissfully.

"And it proves one thing for sure," Lucky notes "There's no such thing as good or bad luck." Just then, another street cleaner drifts by, drenching him. "Hey, that could've happened to anyone."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Catchum is hiding in a bush by the sidewalk, waiting for the Dalmatian to come by. "All right, no more Mr. Nice Dogcatcher. I'll get that Dalmatian now, just see if I don't!"

At that moment he sees a large black and white spotted something moving toward him. "Aha! Gotcha now!" Catchum quickly swishes his net down; unfortunately, he soon discovers that he's netted not a Dalmatian, but a large, angry snow leopard that had escaped from the zoo. "Oooh, this very bad now." the dogcatcher cringes.

The leopard roars angrily as he chases Catchum down the block. "YOW! I WAS WRONG, DALMATIANS AREN'T GOOD LUCK AFTER ALL!" Catchum cries as he races down the street. From behind a nearby building, the Dalmatian looks on in amusement. "I like him, he's silly." he says, motioning toward Catchum.

**The end.**

Voice Cast

Lucky/Ace/Max the Dalmatian-Eric McCormac

Cookie/Fluffy-Yvette Nicole Brown

Niblet/Tiny-John DiMaggio

Strudel/Kugel-Alanna Ubach

Squirt/Squeak/Pup Alarm/Alley Cats-Michael Rapaport

Rebound/Dr. Carlton-Brooke Goldner

Cupcake-Cree Summer

Patches/Witch Cats/Mrs. Geekman-Jessica DiCicco

Taboo/Witch Cats-Pamela Adlon

Toyoshiko/Harriet/Bella-Ashley Johnson

Bingo-Charles Shaughnessy

Ginger/Witch Cats-Kath Soucie

Dot/Mr. Nut Nut/Shaggles-Grey DeLisle

Milton Feltwaddle-Jim Parsons

Morton Feltwaddle/Sparky/Alley Cats-Jeff Bennett

Catchum/Scarface Claw/Rat/Bees-Frank Welker

One Eye-Ted Biaselli

Mr. Geekman-Stephen Toblowsky

Other Dogs and Cats-Nayo Wallace, Joshua Seth, Tom Kenny, Ashleigh Ball


End file.
